Acacia Bardwell is here for a good time, not a long time. Her first and final year on Zephyrus is steadily dwindling down, and she is preparing to embark on a gap year where she will work, travel, and self-discover.
“I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to go straight to college and get perfect As, but I just wanted to [ask myself] ‘What do I actually care about?’’ she said.
On Zephyrus, Acacia learned to interpret art prompts and work with other people in a collaborative environment, which she says are skills she will take with her after high school.
When Acacia decided to join Zeph her senior year, she was interested in pursuing her art in a different space, rather than just a hobby.
She first learned she got on when staff surprised her with a wake-up, a time-honored Zeph tradition.
“I was sleeping. I had no clue, and then I heard the loudest [version] of ‘Pink Pony Club’ I’ve ever heard in my life. I think the room was shaking,” she said.
Creativity and Acacia are synonymous, and it’s no surprise that she said her senior superlative would be ‘Most Hobbies’ as she enjoys drawing, painting, writing, reading, crocheting, knitting, and many others.
In addition to her many hobbies and Zeph, Acacia is also a member of Girls United, Knitting Club, and Cinematography and Film Directing Club. If she were to start her own club, it would be either a crochet-specific club or a nature documentary club.
True to her creative self, one thing Acacia definitely does not regret during her time at Edina High School was taking art classes.
“Both [of my art teachers], Ms. Raskin and Ms. T [are] super nice and supportive. They’ve helped me grow as a person, like [helping me] get rid of my perfectionism,” she said.
What is high school if not chaotic? Acacia’s favorite memory at EHS was her freshman year when a student brought a crab to school.
“They panicked and tried to flush it down the toilet, but it didn’t flush, and so the science teachers came in and rescued it,” she said.
After surviving four years of high school, Acacia is qualified to share her hard earned wisdom; her advice as a senior is not to stress too much.
“There’s always time to figure things out,” she said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 19, 2026
